Syracuse edges Cincinnati on late basket

C.J. Fair played the role of hero, tipping the ball in for the go-ahead basket in the waning seconds that lifted the No. 3 Syracuse Orange to a 57-55 victory over 21st-ranked Cincinnati.

Michael Carter-Williams scored 16 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer, for the Orange (18-1, 6-0 Big East), who were coming off their fourth win in program history against the nation's top-ranked team. Syracuse edged then-No. 1 Louisville on Saturday.

Fair and Brandon Triche had 13 points apiece for Syracuse, which extended its school-record home winning streak to 35 games.

Sean Kilpatrick hit six 3-pointers and finished with 21 points for the Bearcats (16-4, 4-3), who lost for the first time in eight games away from home this season.

Cincinnati led 49-42 on a Cheikh Mbodj layup with six minutes remaining, but the Orange fought back and pulled even at 55-55 on Carter-Williams' trey heading into the final minute.

Cashmere Wright, who missed Cincinnati's last game with a sprained right knee, misfired on a 3-pointer. Syracuse's Jerami Grant then attacked the basket on a drive but didn't score. Fair, though, bailed out his teammate and put the Orange on top with 13 seconds left.

Wright missed another shot from beyond the arc before Triche missed the front end of a 1-and-1 at the foul line with 2.5 seconds remaining.

The Bearcats secured the rebound and JaQuon Parker missed a 3-pointer as the horn sounded.

"As a team we came together at the end...and we had confidence in ourselves and our teammates, and that helped us pull out the victory," Grant said.

The Orange held Cincinnati to 20.7 percent shooting in the first half and led 22-18 at the break.

Game Notes

Carter-Williams had seven assists and five rebounds ... Kilpatrick shot 6- of-15 from 3-point range. He attempted only one field goal from inside the arc ... Parker compiled 11 points ... Cincinnati fell to 2-2 against ranked opponents this season.